Charities urge stronger protection for North Sea
Landmark reports reveal amount of carbon stored in UK seabed habitats for the first time
A new series of reports published today reveals that 37.4 million tonnes of organic carbon are stored in just the top 10cm of seabed mud in the North Sea.
The Blue Carbon Mapping Project provides the first estimate of carbon stored in UK seabed habitats, including in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
This makes the UK the first nation to map and estimate the amount of carbon stored in its seabed habitats, including in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
The North Sea covers 114,000 square kilometres. This vast area is host to habitats that capture and store carbon, known as ‘blue carbon’. They include seabed sediments (made of mud, silt and sand), vegetated habitats (seagrass meadows, saltmarshes, kelp forests and intertidal seaweeds), maerl beds and biogenic reefs, such as mussel beds and honeycomb worm reefs.
Bex Lynam, Marine Advocacy Manager for the North Seas Wildlife Trusts, said, “These world-first reports reveal the enormous value of UK seas, including the North Sea. For the first time we are able to fully appreciate the importance of our huge variety of habitat types for carbon storage and sequestration, particularly those unseen beneath the waves like sand and mud, which are often overlooked and yet store 98% of our sequestered organic carbon in the North Sea.
“This research gives the UK an opportunity to lead the world in protecting blue carbon and marine biodiversity, and we hope that policymakers will use this report to recognise the value of blue carbon and work to minimise the impact of human activities on the seabed and on our precious marine habitats, especially in protected areas.”
Carbon is primarily absorbed by phytoplankton, which drift to the bottom of the sea when they die and are added to seabed sediment. The research analysed the storage capacity of just the top 10cm of sediment. Some sediments are hundreds of metres thick and contain millennia’s worth of carbon, so the total carbon stored will be far greater.
The Blue Carbon Mapping Project highlights how physical disturbances to the seabed, including from human activity such as bottom trawling, as well as moorings and offshore developments, pose threats to blue carbon stores. Disturbing seabed habitats can release large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, worsening climate change.
WWF, The Wildlife Trusts, and the RSPB are calling on governments across the UK to strengthen protections for valuable blue carbon stores – including in MPAs – by minimising the impacts of human activities on the seabed. Most MPAs were not designated to protect blue carbon, and failing to protect these areas from disturbance could threaten climate and biodiversity goals – including net-zero and protecting 30% of seas by 2030.
Kirsten Carter, head of UK marine policy at the RSPB, says: “Accelerating efforts on land to tackle the nature and climate emergency is critical, but we must not underestimate the role of UK seas. This report is a gamechanger for our knowledge of the marine environment and a huge asset for decision-makers. Now we need them to act on its findings. To meet net zero and stop biodiversity decline we must work with nature, not against it. This means restoring habitats, properly planning offshore development, and investing in protected areas to safeguard wildlife and keep blue carbon locked up.”
The full report can be downloaded here:
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